Casting machine



.im 21, 1947. l `M. HUMMEL 2,414,466

CASTING MACHINE Filed JulyA 25, .1945

A w11. l.

2 INVENTOR.

MAX HUMMEL Patented `lan. 21, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEV l 2,414,466 CASTING MACHINE n Max Hummel, New York, N. Y.

Application July 25, 1945, Serial N0. 607,076

(Granted under the act of March 3, V1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a casting machine, particularly useful in casting elongated articles of relatively low melting material, such as plastics or low melting metal.

It is an object of this invention to provide a machine for casting elongated articles such as metal rods with a minimum of handling and manipulation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rod casting machine in which the product is ejected by pneumatic pressure and automatically directed to a receiving bin.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a rod casting machine in which the mold is integral and water jacketed.

Further objects and advantages of this invention, as well as its construction, arrangement and operation, will be apparent from the following description and claims in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine of this invention, and

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation through the machine of this invention, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Reiering to Vthe drawing in detail, the machine comprises an air cylinder Il, xedly mounted on a base plate I2. Air cylinder II is provided with an outer ange I3 at its upper end, to which is bolted or similarly aixed a water jacket I4. The end plate of water jacket I 4 is provided with a centrally located hole, which is counterbored to provide a shoulder, upon which rests packing ring I5.

An integral, annular mold I6 extends through but not beyond the end plate of water jacket I4, a shoulder near the end of mold I6 bearing upon packing ring I5. Mold I6 extends to the upper end of water jacket I4, and upon a shoulder at its upper end rests packing ring Il. Mold I6 is positioned and retained within water jacket I4 by closure plate I8, which is in threaded engagement with the interior of the upper end of water jacket I4. Closure plate I8 may be tightened by means of a Spanner wrench or similar means so that pressure upon packing rings I and I'I Will result in a watertight compartment in the interior of water jacket I4. Cooling water may be circulated through the interior of water jacket I4 by means of inlet opening I9 and outlet opening 20.

Positioned within air cylinder I I is a piston 2I and a piston rod 22, In the down position, piston 2| is held slightly above the bottom of air cylinder II by piston rod 22, the lower end of which rests upon stop 23, extending from base 2 plate l2. The upper end of piston rod 22 extends a short way into the bore of mold IS. An annular weight 24, preferably of lead, encircles piston rod 22 and rests upon piston 2 I. An air inlet opening 25 enters air cylinder I I near its bottom, and an air exhaust opening 25 is provided in air cylinder Il near its tol).

A shock plate 2l is positioned directly above the bore of mold I6, and is provided with a deector plate 28. The shock plate and deflector plate assembly are pivotally mounted on pin 29, which is supported above the casting machine by strut 30. ,Stop 3l spaces deflector plate 28 from strut 30 so that shock plate 2'I will normally be held in approximately horizontal position.

A tray 32 extends from the top of water jacket I4, and is mounted on the side opposite strut 30 by means of hinge 33. Tray 32 is illustrated as resting upon an upper edge of a receptacle or bin 34.

The operation of the machine is as follows. Cooling water is caused to circulate through water jacket I4 by means of inlet opening I9 and outlet opening 20. Next, molten metal is poured into the bore of mold I6 until the mold is lled. The upper end of piston rod 22, it will be noted, lls the bottom end of mold I6. Because of the cooling water surounding mold I6, the molten metal solidies quickly, whereupon a supply of compressed air is admitted to air cylinder II through air inlet opening 25. A

The supply of Vair cylinder II is preferably controlled by a foot operated three-way valve (not shown), by means of which air inlet opening 25 is opened to a source of compressed air when the valve treadle is depressed, and opened to an exhaust port when the pressure on the valve treadle is removed. Such a valve is described in my copending application Serial No. 607,075, filed July 25, 1945.

The admission of compressed air to cylinder II under piston 2l causes piston 2l and piston rod 22 to rise until weight 24 strikes the end plate of water jacket I4. In so doing, piston rod 22 frees the cast rod from mold IS and impels it completely out of the machine. The bore of mold I6 is preferably tapered, the diameter increasing from bottom to top, so that no diiculty is experienced in loosening and expelling molded rods. Mold IS may be made of any material capable of withstanding the heat and any corrosive action of the molten metal to be cast, cast iron being a suitable material for casting zinc. Air exhaust opening 26 opens that portion of cylinder II above piston 2l to the atmosphere, so that no high pressure cushion or vacuum may form above piston 2l and thereby impede its free movement.

When the cast rod has been impelled completely out of the casting machine, its upper end strikes shock plate 21. The shock plate and deflector plate assembly is caused thereby to pivot about pin 29, whereupon the lower end of deilector plate 28 strikes the lower end of the cast rod, impelling the rod into tray 32. If the outer end of tray 32 is lower than the inner end, the rod will slide unassisted down tray 32 into bin A311. The shock plate and deflector plate assembly will return to normal position, with deflector plate 28 resting against stop 3 l,

When the cast rod has been expelled from the machine, that portion of air cylinder Il below piston 2l is allowed to exhaust to the atmosphere, as by releasing the treadle of the three-way valve above described, and piston 2| and piston rod 22 will return to their normal down position, assisted in the return stroke by Weight 24.

It will be apparent that the machine of this invention will enable a simple operator to cast large numbers of rods at a high rate of speed, it being necessary only to pour molten metal into the mold, and then operate theV ejecting mechanism, by foot treadle or otherwise- The operator need at no time handle hot molds or rods, the rods being ejected and delivered to a bin automatically. Nor is it necessary that any time be lost cooling molds or product, since the mold is' constantly cooled and the product may safely be delivered hot. Y Y

TheH machine, it will be apparent, is easily adaptable to cast rods of varying sizes and lengths. Mold I6 may be readily removed and changed to a mold of `different diameter by removing closure plate I8, and piston rod 22 may be removed and replaced by unbolting water jacket i4 lfrom air cylinder I If.

Itis to be Yunderstood that various modifications and changes may be lmade in this invention without departing lfrom the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims. Y

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of theUnitecl States of America for governmental Vpurposes without the payment of anyV royalties comprising a mold, a piston rod positioned at one end of said mold, means for driving said piston rod through said mold, whereby elongated cast articles may be ejected from said mold, and a shock plate and deflector plate assembly pivotally mounted above said mold, said assembly being so arranged and positioned that an ejected article will contact said shock plate and cause pivotal movement of said deflector plate toward one side of said machine.

2. A machine for casting elongated articles comprising a mold, a piston rod positioned at one end of said mold, means for driving said piston rod through said mold, whereby elongated cast articles may be ejected from said mold, a shock plate and deflector plate assembly pivotally mounted above said mold, said assembly being so arranged and positioned that an ejected article will contact said shock plate and cause pivotal 'movement of said deector plate toward one side of said machine, and a tray projecting from that side of the machine toward which said deflector plate may pivotally move.

3, A machine for casting elongated articles comprising a cylinder having an open end, a mold secured to the open end of said cylinder, a piston within said cylinder, a piston rod extending from said piston into said mold, whereby elongated cast articles may be ejected from said mold by movement of said piston and piston rod, a shock plate and deector plate assembly pivotally mounted above said mold, said assembly being so arranged and positioned that an ejected rod will contact said shock plate and cause pivotal movement of said deflector plate toward one side of said machine, and a tray projecting from that side of the machine toward which said deflector plate may pivotally move,

4. A machine for casting elongated articles comprising an elongated mold, an articleV ejector associated with said mold, means for moving said ejector Ylongitudinally within said mold, and an article deector of bell crank form pivotally mounted adjacent said mold, said deector having a shock arm disposed in the path of articles ejected from said mold and a deflector arm eX- tending toward said 'mold adjacent said path whereby the impact of the ejected articles against said shock arm swings said deflector arm into deflecting engagement with said articles. 

